Britain's programme of new house building is at its lowest level since 1924, yet developers are reported to have land banks equivalent to two million single-house plots. Builders are clear about why the mismatch occurs: long planning delays and demands for social housing and planning gain by local councils are making it harder to manage land, with the spectre of a slow residential sales market hanging over them.

(Estates Gazette 2002)

Any examination of the many issues surrounding residential development will require knowledge of the detailed nature of design and layout in new-build housing or conversion of existing stock as well as knowledge of the wider debate surrounding the allocation of new housing land. This chapter will consider both issues and will raise contemporary issues relating to both new settlements and urban villages. This subject area is heavily influenced by the debate surrounding both regeneration and building on brown land. Reference therefore should also be made to Chapter 9 on Urban Renaissance and Regeneration.This chapter is divided into four sections as follows:

• submitting planning applications for residential development

• housing land availability

• new settlements

• urban villages

The starting point for an examination of residential development issues is to be found in government guidance as set out in PPG3, which was revised in March 2000. This document deals with both design and layout issues and the allocation of housing land on green-field or brown-land sites.Paragraph 2 states local planning authorities should:

• Plan to meet the housing requirements of the whole community, including those in need of affordable and special needs housing

• Provide wider housing opportunity and choice, and a better mix in the size, type and location of housing than is currently available, and seek to create mixed communities

• Provide sufficient housing land but give priority to re-using previously developed land within urban areas, bringing empty houses back into use

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